Insurance & finances

Insurance

Students from an EU or EFTA member state with a B/L student permit

These students can be exempted from taking out LAMal health insurance by the cantonal health insurance service in the canton where they live, if they present a copy of their European Health Insurance Card and student card or certificate of studies. For Vaud canton, this is the Office vaudois de l’assurance-maladie (OVAM). It is not necessary to provide the health insurance equivalence verification form. Necessary medical expenses incurred by the student during their stay in Switzerland will be reimbursed by the social security system in their country of origin.

We recommend that European students register with the LAMal Common Institution in Soleure,which acts as a link between the care provider and the social security system in their country of origin. Presenting your European Health Insurance Card to care providers (doctors, hospitals, on-call medical services, etc.), means that the bill for your treatment will be forwarded directly to the LAMal Common Institution, which will pay the service provider concerned and then arrange to be reimbursed by the social security system in the country of origin concerned (the so-called “third-party payment” system), subject to payment of an excess of CHF 92 for a period of 30 days, which is payable by the student.

If the student is not registered with the LAMal Common Institution, they will have to pay their own medical expenses following their treatment and then send the bill to their social security office for reimbursement (the so-called “third-party guarantor” system). In this case, the student must have the necessary resources to pay their own medical bills and wait for reimbursement.

In addition, students who use the LAMal Common Institution are guaranteed that their medical care will be covered financially at the Swiss rate. Otherwise, the social security system in their own country may reimburse the treatment provided in Switzerland at the level it would have cost if it had been provided in their country of origin. In general, medical services in Switzerland are more expensive than elsewhere in Europe.

Students over the age of 25 are covered in the same way, provided they are studying for their first qualification. If, however, they are pursuing a second course of study or specialisation, cover via the European Health Insurance Card is no longer guaranteed. Students in this situation should check with the social security office in their country of residence.

Note: All medical expenses listed in the catalogue of services included under basic insurance are covered for students while they are in Switzerland, including scheduled treatments.

Students from non-EU/EFTA member states with a B student permit

Students who wish to be exempted from the obligation to be insured under the Swiss compulsory insurance system (LAMal), and who have health insurance in their country of origin, must apply to have their insurance recognised by the relevant authority in the canton where they live. For Vaud canton, this is the Office vaudois de l’assurance-maladie (OVAM). The student must send OVAM their completed health insurance equivalence verification form, stamped and signed by their foreign insurer, and a certificate of studies. It is important for the foreign insurer to confirm (by signing the form) that it offers cover against the risks of sickness and accident equivalent to the cover available in Switzerland (LAMal). On receipt of the documents, OVAM will decide whether an exemption from compulsory health insurance applies.

If the foreign insurer cannot guarantee cover for the minimum level of risks required and/or the relevant authority does not recognise the equivalence, the student can take out a health insurance policy for foreign students in Switzerland and then have it recognised by the relevant authority, as described above.

Note: health insurance policies for foreign students are not subject to the LAMal but the Federal Insurance Contracts Act (LCA). This means that they have the right to require a medical questionnaire when examining the student’s application for insurance and are not under any obligation to accept them.

In this situation, the student will be obliged to take out LAMal health insurance, which is significantly more expensive. Depending on their state of health, it is recommended that the student take out LAMal health insurance on arrival, while the foreign students’ insurance provider examines their application, since, if it is rejected, the student will have to pay an additional LAMal insurance premium for joining the scheme late.

Our partner, Gest-Union SA, is on hand to help you with the process of taking out health and accident insurance.

Fire and natural elements insurance

Students living in Vaud canton must take out insurance with the Etablissement cantonal d’assurance (ECA) for the risks of fire and natural elements (flooding caused by natural phenomena, hurricanes, landslides, hail, etc.). Please see the website for further information.

Household insurance

Household insurance provides cover for your personal belongings (furniture, television, computer, etc.). There are numerous insurance options available and it is very common to find packages that combine household and public liability insurance. However, household insurance is not compulsory.

Finances

Finances

The average budget a student needs to live in Lausanne is around CHF 1,900 per month (around €1,640 or $1,630). You should allow an average of CHF 750 per month for accommodation. As an exchange student, you will need to allow around CHF 100 per month for health and accident insurance if your foreign insurance is not recognised in Switzerland.

More generally, note that on arrival in Switzerland, you will have to pay various administrative costs, which can be fairly significant (visa and residence permit costs, local taxes, a rent guarantee for your accommodation, etc.). It is therefore important to allow for these in your budget.